First there was the Wii. Now the Japanese are set to recreate our other favorite extracurricular activity -- women.

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They're at it again, squirreled away in labs, futzing with switches, circuit boards, transistors, trying feverishly to surpass the limitations of today's technology. Only this time it's not antiquated TVs and stereos they're seemingly attempting to replace but women. Three new innovations:

1. Humanoids

Tokyo tech design firm Kokoro recently rolled out its Actroid DER2 line (pictured), perhaps the closest anyone has come yet to replicating the androids seen in science-fiction movies. Currently the company rents out Actroids at a four-figure rate for corporate events and trade shows, where they cheerfully field questions at information kiosks and attract visitors to exhibit booths. Kokoro also offers custom-built Actroids for individual customers.

2. Green-Screen Companions

To the naked eye, the Virtual Humanoid, known informally as U-Tsu-Shi-O-Mi, is just a featureless quasi-human-shaped robot covered in green cloth. Don a specially designed virtual-reality headset, however, and a connected computer overlays a fairly realistic three-dimensional human image on it -- for the prototype, that of an attractive young woman who can smile coquettishly, mimic the user's movements, and respond to touch.

3. Companions of a Different Sort

The Toy's Heart E. S. Eroy Station is a AA-battery-powered plastic box designed to deliver high-quality simulated fellatio. A new limited edition of the product is a feminine shade of pink and, with a push-button control on the side, it "pumps away on you at any speed you choose." The system runs on electricity with an optional AC adapter